What a Twist!
(High School Screenwriting)
(Spring 2026)
Registration is open.
Grades: 9th–12th
Time: 4:00–6:30 PM
Dates: March 11–May 20, 2026
Session Length: 10 Classes. One Day/Week, Wednesdays
Cost: $700
Camp and Course Policies at the Lab
Scholarships are available for participants with financial need. Scholarships are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to apply now.
What a Twist!
How do you write a script that follows the rules of storytelling but still surprises people? Too often, novice writers are so desperate to buck convention that they eschew all notions of formula or plot. But the truth is, like any artist, a screenwriter has to first master the basics of their craft (act, structure etc.) before turning them on their head. In this course, we’ll take a look at how films that are more “traditional” and films that are more “experimental” all follow certain genre conventions. Then, we’ll learn how to upend or adapt tropes in creative and personal ways, to make a story that feels unexpected.
Course Dates:
March 11
March 18
March 25
April 1 – No Class
April 8
April 15
April 22
April 29
May 6
May 13
May 20
Instructor
Chelsea Rae Mize
Chelsea Rae Mize is a cartoonist, author, and screenwriter currently based in Peekskill, NY. She earned her BA in English and Theater from Duke University and is a member of the Writers Guild of America, West. Her work has been bought and/or produced by studios including CBSTV, Nickelodeon, and SONY, and she is a USA Today bestselling author of over thirty mystery novels. She likes to make zines, curate art shows, and generally get other people to do creative stuff. She also moonlights as a typewriter poet. Storytelling is her favorite thing, no matter the form, and she is excited to share that at the JBFC, at the Theater and the Media Arts Lab.
CampDoc
We are excited to partner with CampDoc, a third party program we will be using to collect and consolidate student registration information in order to streamline the registration process, and enhance the parent and guardian experience while your child is participating in our program(s). CampDoc will give parents and guardians full access to their own participant portal which they can log into at any time to view course details and information, and previously submitted documents.
Once a course has been purchased on the JBFC website, an email from CampDoc will follow within a few days with instructions on how to create a CampDoc account (if you do not have one already) and submit additional required registration information, such as an updated immunization record, a list of allergies, names of individuals who are authorized to pick your child up, doctor and insurance information, etc., and the deadlines by which this information must be received. We look forward to seeing your child this year.
